Plot Twist.....tragic or brilliant?

    So, I noticed a trend lately in authors really hitting you right in the gut with their plot-twists. Wait,  is it a plot-twist if it's at the end? Is there another name for it at that point in the story? Is it just the end? The grande finale?

(Possible spoilers here....)

 Over the winter break, I read a couple of books that just blew me away at the end. I mean major book-SHOCK!  I had to just sit there and think and re-read the final chapter to take in all the detail and fit it in my head. I wasn't sure if I was mad at the author or if she is a genius!





     I noticed a trend lately of authors either killing the main character, or secondary character or even more interesting (spoiler here) messing with their brains. Not in just one book, but a few. At first, I felt cheated. After all that time with the character, she dies.or she's lobotomized. his personality is reprogrammed. And I wondered -  is that really fair to the reader?

     And then I thought about it a little more and realized that I think YA authors are reaching a new level of being true to their characters. They are going one step further to make the reader feel. And isn't that why we read?

     I don't think I can take anymore tragic endings right now. As a reader, a little goes a long way. But call me a little bit twisted, I think I'm ruined for happy endings.

Do you read a book without knowing if it's a tragedy? Do you just jump in blindly? Would you read a series knowing a main character is killed?

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